That paged me at heels,—­

in the second edition retracts his alteration, and maintains pannell’d to be the right reading, being a metaphor taken, he says, from a pannel of wainscot.

IV.xii.25 (227,3) this grave charm] I know not by what authority, nor for what reason, this grave charm, which the first, the only original copy exhibits, has been through all the modern editors changed to this gay charm.  By this grave charm, is meant, this sublime, this majestic beauty.

IV.xii.29 (227,4) to the very heart of loss] To the utmost loss possible.

IV.xii.45 (228,7) Let me lodge, Lichas] Sir T. Hanmer reads thus,

  —­thy rage
  Led thee lodge Lichas—­and—­
  Subdue thy worthiest self.—­

This reading, harsh as it is, Dr. Warburton has received, after having rejected many better.  The meaning is, Let me do something in my rage, becoming the successor of Hercules,

IV.xiv.19 (230,2) Pack’d cards with Caesar, and false play’d my glory/Unto an enemy’s triumph] [Warburton had explained and praised Shakespeare’s “metaphor”] This explanation is very just, the thought did not deserve so good an annotation.

IV.xiv.39 (231,3) The battery from my heart] I would read,

  This battery from my heart.—­

IV.xiv.49 (232,4) Seal then, and all is done] I believe the reading is,

  —­seel then, and all is done—­

To seel hawks, is to close their eyes.  The meaning will be,

  —­since the torch is out,
  Lie down, and stray no further.  How all labour
  Marrs what it does.—­Seel then, and all is done.

Close thine eyes for ever, and be quiet.

IV.xiv.73 (233,5) pleach’d arms] Arms folded in each other.

IV.xiv.77 (233,6) His baseness that ensued?] The poor conquered wretch that followed.

IV.xiv.86 (233,7) the worship of the whole world] The worship, is the dignity, the authority.

IV.xv.9 (237,9)

  O sun,
  Burn the great sphere thou mov’st in!—­darkling stand
  The varying shore o’ the world]

She desires the sun, to burn his own orb, the vehicle of light, and then the earth will be dark.

IV.xv.19-23 (237,1) I here importune death] [Theobald had regularized the versification and had added two words] Mr. Theobald’s emendation is received by the succeeding editors; but it seems not necessary that a dialogue so distressful should be nicely regular.  I have therefore preserved the original reading in the text, and the emendation below.

IV.xv.28 (238,2) still conclusion] Sedate determination; silent coolness of resolution.

IV.xv.32 (236,3) Here’s sport, indeed!] I suppose the meaning of these strange words is, here’s trifling, you do not work in earnest.